JOB DESCRIPTION
JOB TITLE: Hands on History Crew - Events Staff
SITE: Old Wardour Castle
DEADLINE: 11 June
GROUP: Historic Properties
PAY BAND: £7.84/hr
DATES: Seasonal: 11 July - 31 August
Training: W/C 11 July
HOURS: Various part-time hours available, varying from 3 days to 5 days per week
RESPONSIBLE TO: Historic Properties Site Manager/Supervisor & Assistant Events Manager
OVERALL PURPOSE OF THE JOB
To maximise visitor enjoyment of English Heritage managed sites; providing family and children’s activities throughout the day in a fun and engaging manner, maintaining excellent standards of service, optimising opportunities to generate income and increase support for English Heritage and ensuring that the site and its assets are safe and secure. To make English Heritage sites the best possible places to visit and work.
MAIN DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES
Exemplary customer service and presentation
1 To provide a consistently high standard of visitor care at all times
2 Welcoming visitors to the site and the ‘Hands on History’ activities
3 Welcome visitors with special needs and providing a high level of service in accordance with the Equality Act 2010
4 Answer visitors’ queries about the activity you are running, respond courteously and appropriately to visitor enquiries and feedback
- Assist the site staff with maintaining excellent standards of site and personal presentation at all times as defined in Quality Standards Manual, including reporting issues, regular checks for litter in your area, ensuring you are ready by the set activity time, reporting all instances of damage and wear and tear issues promptly to Site Manager/Supervisor
5 Develop relevant knowledge about the site, its history, contents and merchandise in order to aid with customer queries
6 Promote the English Heritage Brand through providing great experiences
7 Maintain Customer Care Standards in accordance with Presentation Standards
Events
1 To learn and deliver Hands on History themed family activities for the summer-long ‘Hands on History’ event offer at Site, including sessions of children’s activities such as Dressing Up, Role Play, Storytelling, etc.
2 To adapt programmes each day and evolve activities to suit varying audiences and weather scenarios
3 To ensure children are accompanied by parents/guardians in the activities
4 To ensure the event areas and tents are kept clean and tidy and well presented at all times taking into account the weather
5 To treat with care and maintain (including running repairs to costumes) the Hands on History event equipment, keeping the props clean and tidy and attractively laid out.
6 To ensure the security and safety of props and equipment and that it is properly stored and locked when not in use with inventories kept and equipment not taken off site
7 To assist further with Events aside from ‘Hands on History’ and with the set-up, stewarding and break-down of events
8 To wear staff uniform and maintain in good condition
Teamwork and personal development
1 To work with other members of the ‘Hands on History Crew’ to deliver fun and engaging activities
2 To work with other members of Site Staff Team to deliver excellent customer service and ensure the site is functioning effectively
3 To use the Performance and Development Review to identify and deliver against development needs and performance measurement.
Site Marketing & Promotion
1 To issue promotional literature and any relevant rewards to participating children and encourage visiting other similar events at other English heritage properties
2 To ensure that sufficient event posters and literature are at the site and to keep a tally on usage and to inform the Event Manager about stock levels
3 To assist the Site Manager/Supervisor regarding liaison with local groups, Tourist Information Centres, broadcasting companies and private organisations so as to promote the site
4 To assist with media and PR opportunities, photo calls, interviews, broadcasts on site or at studios
Health and Safety
1 To ensure site meets with Health and Safety legislation in liaison with the Site Manager & Event Manager
2 To ensure that visitors vacate the site at close of business and that the site is secured at end of day
3 To use personal protection equipment as provided and directed within English Heritage Health and Safety Guidelines
4 To ensure the Hands on History activities are safe and the risk assessment is adhered to and that all other staff are operating safely
General
1 To undertake any other tasks and duties reasonably required by the line manager
This is a description of the job as it is at present constituted. An employee’s job description may be examined by management at any time to ensure that it relates to the job currently being performed or to incorporate proposed changes. Management reserves the right to change a job description after consultation with the employee concerned’ the aim being to reach agreement to reasonable changes consistent with the employee’s pay band and status.
PERSON SPECIFICATION
ESSENTIAL
/
DESIRABLE
TRAINING, EXPERIENCE AND QUALIFICATIONS· Experience of working in customer service operations or environment (internal and/or external)
· Experience of working as part of a team
· Experience of providing family/children’s activities / · Experience of dealing with retail and/or cash transactions
· Experience of working to commercial targets
KNOWLEDGE AND SKILLS
· Demonstrable understanding of the principles of excellent customer care and visitor service
· General awareness of health and safety and security issues
· Good numeracy and writing skills
· Creative and enthusiastic about running activities
· ITC skills for use of PC and other technologies on site
· Awareness of child protection issues
· Basic knowledge of history and its presentation to the public / · Risk Assessment training
· First Aid certificate
· General knowledge of other local amenities and attractions
· Appreciation and understanding of the importance of the historic environment
INTERPERSONAL SKILLS
· Able to sustain excellent face to face communication skills for building and maintaining good customer and staff relations
· Lively personality, willingness to draw public attention
· Able and willing to work with a diverse range of visitors and colleagues
· Ability to team work
· Neat and tidy personal appearance / · Customer first/customer improvement processes/techniques
· Experience of performing, drama, etc
INTERPERSONAL SKILLS continued
· Reliable and punctual
· Ability to work calmly under pressure
· Flexible and adaptable approach to range of duties and tasks
· Keen to develop new skills
· Maintains and expects high standards of honesty and integrity
PARTICULAR CIRCUMSTANCES TO CONSIDER
· Availability to be rostered to work the specified days & hours, Inc all training days as listed above.
· Live within a reasonable travelling distance of job location and sites
· To be prepared to be flexible in working hour patterns
· To keep and wear English Heritage brand uniform as provided to an immaculate standard.
· This post involves working with children and therefore, under the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974, all applicants who are offered employment will be subject to a criminal record check from the Criminal Records Bureau before their appointment is confirmed.
PHYSICAL /HEALTH REQUIREMENTS (site specific)
· Standing for long periods necessary. Lifting boxes, setting out props, etc
· Person appointed must be able to access all public areas of relevant EH properties, which may include stairwells, confined spaces, heights or places with low lighting.
· Work entails reasonable lifting of heavy/bulky objects within published health and safety guidelines on manual handling.